Mental Health Awareness Week to concentrate on body image

The British Psychological Society has welcomed the theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week, which runs from 13 to 19 May.

Hosted by the Mental Health Foundation, it will concentrate on body image – how we think and feel about our bodies.

Sarb Bajwa, chief executive of the society, said:

“Last year we signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Mental Health Foundation, pledging our organisations to work together to improve mental health and wellbeing, and we are delighted with the theme they have chosen for this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week.

Body image is an important subject – not least for children and young people, whose wellbeing is the society’s policy priority for 2019.

Worries about how we look can impact our self-esteem and confidence, and the media has a strong influence on what we think a 'normal' body looks like. These are all areas where psychology can provide robust evidence to aid the development of public policy that will boost people’s wellbeing.”

The Mental Health Foundation website has resources for people who want to raise awareness of body image issues and details of events taking place across the country during Mental Health Awareness Week.